Eric P. Bloom: 7 tips for managing college interns

Friday

Aug 8, 2014 at 12:06 PMAug 8, 2014 at 12:09 PM

By Eric P. BloomMore Content Now

College interns are a unique category of employee. Rather than simply being hired to perform a task at an appropriate rate of pay, managers are asked to teach these temporary employees about the world of business — the “real” skills that will be needed when they graduate from college, and if possible, a little fatherly/motherly advice on how to prepare for the world ahead.The interns in return, come starry eyed to the doors of corporate America wanting to learn, get a head start on their professional careers, get paid at least a little, and get a glimpse at life of “the real world”, beyond the hallowed halls of academia.I know these roles to be true, because I have played them both.As an intern, (in what seems as a long time ago in a land far away) I worked for Honeywell Information Systems. It was great place to be an intern for a number of reasons. One of these reasons was my boss. He did those things suggested in the first paragraph of this column. I was just another summer intern passing through the doors, but he lived up to his part of the bargain. He got cheap summer labor for his department (me), and I got my first glimpse of corporate America, some resume-worthy work experience and a good share of business advice. I have had many managers over the years, some more memorable than others, but I’ll always remember Larry. In fact, to this day, I still quote some of his professional wisdom to others.The reason I’m telling you this story is, as a manager, if you agree to take a college intern within your organization, treat him/her as thoughtfully as I was treated almost 35 years ago. You should treat your interns right and not just use them as cheap labor for a number of reasons. First, because it’s your job to help those on your team who want to be helped, grow professionally. Second, this is part of the manager/intern deal and you should live up to your part of the bargain. Third, if you are currently or will be the parent of a college-age child, how would you want your kid treated? Lastly, how do you want to be remembered as a manager? Do you want to be remembered as a Larry, or as the jerk that made me get his/her coffee all summer, or to just not be memorable at all?Should you not be rolling your eyes at my pontification of how interns should be treated, the following is a list of things you can do, as their manager, to make their summer a true learning experience and a great launching point for their future career:1. Treat them like they are full time employees, rather than temporary contractors.2. Make sure that they have proper expectations related to their job, the tasks they will be performing, and their role in the company.3. Try to give them assignments that will help them grow professionally.4. Team them up with an experienced employee hoping to eventually move into management. This has three advantages. First, it will provide your employee with some rudimentary supervisory experience. Second, it will show the employee you are moving him/her in the direction of management. Lastly, for the intern, it provides him/her an internal mentor to help teach them the trade.5. Let them know that if they do a good job that you would be willing to give them a professional reference when they graduate. If the intern is career oriented, it will help motivate him/her to do a good job, which is good for you both.6. Have weekly 30 minute one-on-one meetings with them to answer their questions, provide feedback and suggestions on their performance, and if time allows, provide insights and advice related to the career they are entering.7. When their internship ends, have an exit interview/debriefing. Provide them with insights, both good and bad, that will help them with their future career. Also, ask them what you did well or should do differently when managing future interns. There are two advantages of asking this question. For you, it may provide you valuable insights regarding your management style. For the intern, it will illustrate to him/her the importance of lifelong learning and the importance of always trying to improve yourself professionally.The primary advice and takeaways from today’s column is to know that:* You should treat your interns right and not just use them as cheap labor for a number of reasons. * The seven tips listed in this column will help make the internship experience for those within your responsibility a true career enhancing experience, not just another summer job.Until next time, work hard, work smart, manage well and continue to build your professional brand.—— Eric P. Bloom is the president and founder of Manager Mechanics LLC, a management training company specializing in information technology leadership and is the governing organization of the ITMLP and ITMLE certifications. He is also a keynote speaker, nationally syndicated columnist and author of the books “The CIO’s Guide to Staff Needs, Growth, and Productivity,” “Your IT Career: Get Noticed, Get Promoted, and Build Your Professional Brand” and “52 Great Management Tips.” Contact him at eric@ManagerMechanics.com, follow him on Twitter at @EricPBloom and @MgrMechanics or visit www.ManagerMechanics.com.